Arsenal to battle Real Madrid for Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper

Arsenal are ready to join Real Madrid in the race to sign Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Arizzabalaga Kepa, with Juventus also said to be keeping tabs on the situation.

The Spanish under-21 international is rated as one of the best players in Europe in his position, and is interesting Arsenal as they begin their search for a long-term replacement for Peter Cech.

Kepa has a current release clause of €20 million (£17.7 million) which could be triggered in January by either The Gunners or Real.

The player’s existing deal with Bilbao is set to expire at the end of this season, and he shows no signs of signing a new contract, amidst reports that they want to increase his release clause to €100 million, without increasing his wages in return.

If Kepa were to sign for Real Madrid instead, that could be good news for Liverpool because it might indicate the Spanish side would be prepared to let Anfield transfer target Keylor Navas leave the club.

Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.